Cranberry-Orange Scones
This past Thursday, I hosted an afternoon tea at our house. My mother-in-law's sister and aunt were visiting, and since we were all going out to dinner that evening, I thought I would have all us ladies over in the early afternoon for some light snacks. I love the whole concept of afternoon tea--there is something so charming and refined about stopping for an hour or two in the afternoon to drink your tea (or coffee) using a cup and saucer and nibbling on tiny sandwiches and sweets. Plus it's just so girly. I pulled out my pretty Villeroy & Boch china, polished a few pieces of my silver, and set out some cookies, tea sandwiches and these scones. They are one of Ina Garten's recipes and they are divine. With three sticks of butter, four eggs and a cup of heavy whipping cream, it's no wonder we couldn't stop eating them. I can never resist the combination of cranberry and orange--the sweet-tart-citrusy fresh flavor cuts through the richness of the flaky dough and I'm hooked.
I had the best of intentions on photographing more of the scone-making process in addition to the end result, but scone dough has a habit of being super-sticky, so reaching for my camera in mid knead wasn't an option. By the time they came out of the oven, all golden and puffed, I was near trance-like from the aroma, my guests had arrived, and we promptly tucked in to these warm, flaky discs studded with tart, chewy cranberries and flecks of orange zest, and any thoughts of taking pictures of them were a distant memory. These scones, though, I won't forget, so I guess I'll just have to make them again--only this time, I'll recruit someone else to take the pictures because I know I'll be good for nothing once they come out of the oven.
Cranberry-Orange Scones
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten
Makes 14-16 scones (I managed to make 30 using all of the dough)4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 T. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. grated orange zest (1 large orange or 2 small ones)
3 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy whipping cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 T. of water (for egg wash)Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add in the cold butter and mix on low speed until the butter pieces are the size of peas. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine the eggs and heavy cream and slowly pour into the butter/flour mixture with the mixer running on low speed. Mix until just blended. The dough will look a little lumpy and will be very sticky. In a small bowl, toss the dried cranberries with 1/4 cup of flour and then add to the dough. Mix to incorporate the cranberries, making sure not to over-mix.
Transfer the dough to a well-floured board and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough into a round disk, about 1-inch thick. Keep moving the dough so that it does not stick to the board, adding more flour to the board, your hands and the rolling pin as necessary.
Flour a 3-inch round or fluted cutter and cut out as many rounds of dough as possible, placing each one on the parchment-lined sheet pan, about 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps of dough and gently knead, roll out and cut more rounds of dough. Be sure to keep the board, rolling pin and cutter well floured so the scones do not stick.
Brush the tops of each scone with the egg wash and sprinkle with some granulated sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the scones are browned on the tops and are baked through completely. They will puff up a little as they cook and will be firm to the touch when fully cooked. Cool the scones on the sheet pans for about 15 minutes after removing them from the oven and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling, or serve slightly warm. Store any extras in an airtight container or freeze.
Ina's recipe also includes a glaze that you can also make to drizzle over each scone by whisking together four teaspoons of freshly squeezed orange juice with about 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar. Glaze only the scones you will be serving.
|
Subscribe to RSS |
.jpg)
No comments posted